Tucked in a Korean metal parts maker rebuttal we find a confirmation for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 summer release schedule. S-Connect, which have apparently been supplying the hinge components for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Z Flip, i.e. the reinforced ones after the OG Fold hinge fiasco, have voiced their concerns that a new foldable phone business report mismatched an exclusive hinge supplier for said Samsung phones.
“In the “Open Smartphone’s Foldable” report from Korea Investment & Securities on the 23rd, ‘a specific partner is expected to supply hinges alone in 2021’, in light of the progress of the hinge parts business promoted by S-Connect. It is clearly not true… We have been supplying hinge parts (for Samsung Electronics’ foldable phones) from 2020. As the business plan announced at the company briefing session at the beginning of the year, we are stably carrying out existing and new businesses and hinge parts businesses. It is a matter directly related to the property interests of shareholders.”
While that brouhaha in itself is not very interesting for anyone but S-Connect’s shareholders, the roadmap for hinge component supplies to Samsung that the company posted to prove they are still in the game there, is pretty revealing.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 2 hinge supplier is already hard at work
In short, if S-Connect is already shipping hinges for the Z Fold 3, that means the newest Samsung foldable phone would indeed be announced and released in the August/September timeframe that its predecessor landed with.
Z Fold and Z Flip line hinges
